Dinosaurs in the Ballroom, Simply Ballroom 3
by pinkcat4569
Summary: The ballroom is invaded again, but this time, the guests are not welcome. They aren't even human, after all. Sequel to Secrets: Simply Ballroom 1 and Secrets: Simply Ballroom 2.
1. Chapter 1

Dinosaurs in the Ballroom, Secrets: Simply Ballroom 3

By Pinkcat4569

Rating: K/G

Spoilers-series 4 and 5

Description: The ballroom is invaded again, but this time, the guests are not welcome. They aren't even human, after all. Sequel to Secrets: Simply Ballroom 1 and Secrets: Simply Ballroom 2.

Disclaimer: Primeval and its characters do not belong to me. This is solely for fun.

Author's Note: I've been re-editing my stories, and got to thinking that I never did write a follow up to the Ballroom stories. This is how I imagine it would be if the ballroom was swarmed with non-human guests. You should probably read the other two first, as I make references to them. Becker and Jess are a couple. This features some original characters.

Keep in mind that I'm not an expert, not on dancing or dinosaurs. Any information was taken from the internet and may not be 100 percent correct.

This is my first story in three months, so I hope I haven't gotten too rusty.

Words: 3, 865, broken into chapters.

Chapter One, Secrets: Simply Ballroom 3

Mrs. Fine filled the punch bowl and set out chips. She then went through the CDs, choosing the songs for the dances. She had acquired some new selections to go along with the new faces coming to the Ballroom Dancing nights. Mrs. Becker and her son had certainly breathed new life into the dance studio.

Mrs. Fine had to chuckle at the thought of the young Captain. He had been so stiff and stoic when he first arrived. He danced only with his mother, and spoke very little. He was obviously present under duress.

Then Miss Parker joined them, and the Captain changed. He was much more at ease, even charming. They even brought work colleagues along. He still danced primarily with one partner, but now it was Miss Parker. With her, he danced passionately.

"A little too passionately for my tastes," she muttered aloud. Yes, the dances those two did were….heated, especially the tango. One of these days they'd need cold water thrown on them. Perhaps she should stash a bucket near the dance floor, she thought with a chuckle.

She heard the door open, and recognized several voices: the elderly couple the Rogers, young Mr. Andrews, and Mr. Howard, a rather grumpy middle-age man.

"The Beckers are coming, right?" asked Mr. Rogers with a twinkle in his eye.

Mrs. Fine smirked. "As far as I know."

"I hope they bring Miss Parker," said Mr. Rogers, smiling widely.

"Why? You're no competition for the young Captain," teased his wife.

"No one is," said Mr. Andrews sadly. "The two of them remind me how single I am."

"I think they're cute," said Mrs. Rogers.

Mr. Andrews merely grunted in response.

Mrs. Fine laughed. "You are far too young to be discouraged. You'll find someone someday."

"Too bad Miss Parker is obviously taken," said Mr. Rogers with a laugh.

"Obviously," grumbled Mr. Andrews. "I don't think anyone will ever pry her from the Captain's arms either."

Mrs. Fine laughed. "I think you're right."

The sound of the door opening again was followed by more voices and laughter. The sweet joyful voice of Jess Parker floated above the rest.

Andrews and Mr. Rogers perked up, looking toward the entrance from the lobby to see the young woman enter. She was always bright and colorful, not to mention slightly sexy.

Instead they saw the imposing figure of Captain Becker, wearing an uncharacteristic smile. It was soon apparent why he was smiling as he drew in Miss Parker, her hand tightly entwined in his. He was staring at her, and grinning broadly.

"Hello," chirped Jess to the dancers.

"Good evening," said Mrs. Fine. "You look lovely, as always, Miss Parker."

"She does," agreed Becker.

Jess' cheeks blushed, matching her rosy pink, short dancing gown, plain except for a few rows of ruffles along the bottom of the dress. She wore her hair in a long, side braid, fastened with a green bow. Her slight kitten-heeled shoes were also green, a few shades darker then the lime green of her hair bow.

Becker wore a black tux with a white shirt. As if to make sure everyone knew who he was with, his tie and cummerbund matched the pink of Jess' gown.

"Are you two ready to dance?" asked Mr. Rogers.

"You bet!" cried Jess.

Becker chuckled at her enthusiasm. "If she is, than I guess I am too."

Mrs. Fine laughed. "Uh-huh," she said. She shook her head with amusement. "I don't think we'd see you dancing if Miss Parker weren't present."

"No, I don't think you would," said a new voice. Mrs. Becker walked in. She sighed. "I've definitely lost my dance partner." She winked at her son.

"I'll be happy to partner with you," said Mr. Andrews.

"Thank you, dear. You are a life saver," she said.

A few more bodies poured in. Mrs. Fine recognized the colleagues of the Captain and Miss Parker. Miss Abby Maitland walked in with her boyfriend, Connor Temple. They were both dressed in black, rather gothic outfits. Abby's dress was tight in the middle, sporting a corset, then black lace draped down vertically from the corset, down to her mid-calves.

Connor wore a simple black jacket, the lapels decorated with faux black fur. He paired it with a light gray shirt, and darker gray slacks that looked faded with age. He wore a shiny black top hat that didn't really go with the age of his outfit.

"Can we start with the sexy dances?" asked Connor.

Mrs. Fine rolled her eyes. "I've told you, Mr. Temple, they are not sexy."

Connor raised his eyebrows. "They look plenty sexy to me."

The others laughed.

Mrs. Fine sighed. "Alright. Yes, they are sensual, but to limit everything a samba or tango is to the word "sexy" is just wrong."

"She is a dance teacher, after all, Conn," said Abby.

He shrugged. "Can we start with a samba?"

Mrs. Fine had to laugh. "Why not?" She turned to her music selections, looking for samba music.

"Torturing our hostess, already?" asked an Irish brogue.

Mrs. Fine laughed and looked up to see the stylish figures of Matt Anderson and Emily Merchant. "Good evening," she said.

"Good evening," said Emily. "I do hope Connor is behaving."

"Hey!" cried a wounded Connor.

Matt chuckled. "You can be a handful," he said.

Connor pouted. "That's not true."

"Yes it is," said Becker. He had finished hanging up Jess' and his mum's coat, and reached out to take Emily's.

Jess giggled. "You look wonderful, Abby, Emily. "

"Thank you. You do as well," said Emily. She was dressed in a long silver gown, clinging to her hips, and then flaring out. Matt wore black trousers and a dark green striped shirt, along with a silver blazer.

Mrs. Fine smiled. "I approve of the jacket, Mr. Anderson." The last few times she had made it clear that she thought he was underdressed.

He chuckled. "I wore it just for you."

"Can we start the samba yet?" wined Connor.

"Easy," said Abby. "Sorry, Mrs. Fine."

"Don't apologize. I like eager dancers. We will wait just a few more minutes. Is your boss attending this evening?"

Jess tapped her shoe in annoyance. "I don't know. He's being a baby."

Becker laughed. "I don't know, Jess. If my wife blew that money on a gown, I think I'd be upset too."

The men all grunted in agreement.

"Yes, I agree Mrs. Lester shouldn't have spent so much, but it was her first ballroom gown, and she was excited. Plus, she has to live with the man! Give the poor woman some compensation!"

The ARC team all laughed. "Good point," said Matt.

Becker raised an eyebrow at Jess. "You've never spent thousands of pounds on a gown?"

"No! I'm stylish but frugal. I work for a living," said Jess.

Becker laughed. "I thought fashion was your living."

Abby laughed. "He's got you there, Jess."

"Becker's just worried about his financial future," said Connor. "He's seeing his closet full of pricey girl clothes."

Jess and Becker both blushed. Mrs. Becker playfully jabbed Connor in the ribs for them.

"Well, I guess we've waited long enough," said Mrs. Fine. Just then the sound of the door opening and a loud boisterous voice broke through the hall.

"I'm here, aren't I, darling? I refuse to put on a smile," said Lester's voice.

The dancers all giggled.

"Jess was right, you are being a baby," came Mrs. Lester's voice. She walked in to see the dancers all looking her way. "Good evening," she said.

They all greeted her and Lester as he came through from the lobby. He wasn't very talkative, however.

"How are you?" asked Jess.

Lester grunted.

"Fine, dear," she said. "Ignore Mr. Grumpy."

"I love your dress," said Jess.

Mrs. Lester wore an elegant purple, floor length gown that clung to her curves. She may not have been as young as Jess or Abby or Emily, but she was still an attractive woman.

"Thank you, Jess. I'm very grateful that you steered me to that discount store," said Mrs. Lester. "I've been placed on a budget. So, apparently is James. He refused to wear a tux this time."

Lester mumbled something about "thousands of pounds," and "out of your mind."

Mrs. Lester just smiled.

"He looks quite dashing," said Emily, complimenting Lester's simple, but well-tailored black suit. He made no attempt to match his wife as he had no purple on him.

"Nice to see you both," said Mrs. Fine. "Now, if we're all here, let's samba!"

"Yeah!" yelled Connor.

Saucy, up-beat music with a Latin rhythm played. Connor whooped, and began to sway his hips wildly. Abby shook her head, laughed, and took his hand.

Emily and Matt moved slightly slower to the music than the other couples. At least they were trying. Lester simply stood, waving his arms. His wife had given up, and was dancing alone.

Jess and Becker, as always, were the stars of the floor. Becker, huge smile on his face, spun Jess around him, as she shook her body in rhythm. She was smiling at him as well.

Mrs. Becker, in the arms of Mr. Andrews, couldn't help but watch her son and Jess. The lovely young woman was a gift from heaven, in his mother's eyes.

Mrs. Fine smiled, tapping her toes to the song, standing apart from the dancers, beside the music player. Then she frowned.

"What is that?" she asked. No one heard her over the music. She continued to stare at a yellow glow. Slowly it grew stronger, forming a ball.

Lester looked over. "Oh good Lord."

Becker was the next to notice. He cursed.

"Becker!" cried Jess.

"Really, dear," scolded Mrs. Becker. "Not appropriate language for the ballroom!"

Becker ignored his mother. He whispered to Jess, "We have an anomaly."

She turned in the direction he was staring. She cursed too.

Mrs. Becker looked also. "What is that?"

The glow grew more intense, and soon everyone was staring.

"Oh, no," said Abby softly.

Matt cursed. "Can't we have one bloody night?"

End of Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two, Dinosaurs in the Ballroom, Secrets: Simply Ballroom 3

"What in the world?" asked Mr. Rogers. His wife clutched his hand tightly.

Mrs. Fine, Mr. Andrews, and a few others moved toward the ball of light, pulled by curiosity. Mrs. Becker moved after them, but her son caught her arm.

"No, Mum. It's incredibly dangerous. Stay away."

Mrs. Becker looked alarmed. "How do you know, Hilary?"

"Trust us," said Jess.

"Please Mum."

She nodded. "Alright, dear."

"Mrs. Fine!" cried Becker, pushing his mother gently toward her. "Please get everyone into your office. Now!"

Mrs. Fine stared at him. "I…Why? What is it?"

The other dancers moved closer to the anomaly.

"No! Stay back!" cried Matt, actually shoving some of them away.

"People, please!" cried Lester. "As a highly connected member of the government, I must insist that you stay…." He was interrupted by a sort of growl/bird call.

A swarm of feathered dinosaurs, each about 3 feet tall, ran through. The dancers screamed.

"Sinornithosaurus," said Connor. "Small, predatory dinosaurs, recently believed to have feathers. I love it when we scientists turn out to be right."

Becker snickered. "Great, Connor. How about you stop admiring them, and help me round them up?"

Connor smiled weakly. "Right. Sorry."

It was pandemonium. Dancers screaming and running. The creatures leapt on chairs, snapping their teeth and growling.

"They really are graceful," said Abby, kicking one off Mr. Andrews.

"What are they?" he asked as she pulled him to his feet.

"Sinornith…." Began Connor, stopping as Becker gave him a scowl. "Right. Dinosaur wrangling. On it."

"Mum! Into the office! Now!" screamed Becker.

His mother nodded, attempting to pull Jess with her.

"No," said Jess. "I have to stay. It's my job. It's all of our jobs."

Mrs. Becker looked from Jess to Becker, to his friends. She stared at her son, fear in her eyes.

Jess gave her a reassuring smile. "We know what we're doing."

Mrs. Becker nodded, and fled to the office.

Mrs. Fine had heard Jess. She looked at the strange animals. "What do you people do, anyway?"

Jess had no time to answer. Several of the creatures ran their way.

"Jess!" screamed Becker.

Jess pushed Mrs. Fine down, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Everyone out!" cried Mrs. Fine.

"No!" cried Matt. "We need the creatures contained!"

"Not to mention the witnesses!" yelled Lester, shielding his wife as people ran by. Then one of the creatures lunged at him.

Mrs. Lester screamed. Lester grabbed a rolled up dance mat and swung it at the creature. Feathers flew everywhere as the creature fell backwards. Lester held his shaking wife, spitting feathers from his mouth.

"You must remain calm!" cried Emily.

No one seemed to listen, all stampeding toward the lobby.

"No! Don't let the creatures out!" cried Becker. He sprinted toward the entrance, intercepting both humans and dinosaurs. "Get back! Mrs. Fine! Get everyone into your office! Now!"

She nodded, and began directing humans inside the small, glass-enclosed room just off to the side of the dance floor.

Most everyone followed, but some of the more obstinate men still tried to get through to the lobby. Becker, however, would not let them.

"Mate, can't you see the creature?" asked Mr. Howard.

"Let us out!" cried others.

"Not that way," said Becker firmly. "It's too dangerous. We can't let these things out into the public."

"What about us then?" asked an older lady they all called Gertrude.

"Just stay calm, and do as we say," said Becker kindly.

"Why should we?" spat Mr. Howard.

"Who the hell are you?" asked another.

"He's a Captain in the military," said Jess, stomping over in her heels. "Who would you rather follow, a trained man, or someone hysterical like yourself?"

Becker smiled at the small pink figure. She could be formidable when pushed.

"I suggest we all do as the Captain advises," said Jess.

Becker wanted to kiss her, but was preoccupied. "Duck!" he yelled, as a Sinornithosaurus jumped toward Mr. Howard. Becker pushed him out of the way, and smacked the dinosaur in the beak.

"Hurry, Jess, get them into the office!" he cried.

She nodded, and physically pushed people toward the office, starting with Mr. Howard. Gertrude followed behind them.

The dancers were still being ushered into Mrs. Fine's office. She manned the door, only opening it as a human approached. Mrs. Rogers was a few feet from the door, when a creature landed in her way. She screamed.

"No, you don't!" cried Mrs. Fine. "Not one of my best customers!" She ran to the creature and kicked it. Hard.

"Whoa! Nice one, Mrs. Fine!" yelled Connor as the dinosaur flew through the air.

She smiled and pulled Mrs. Rogers into the office. "Been dancing since I was three, you know. My kicks are spectacular, if I do say so myself."

"That's all of the dancers, Becker!" yelled Jess. She just caught his eye when a feathery blur pounced at her.

"Jess!" cried Becker, hitting and kicking several feathered beasts.

Jess managed to dodge it, but it slammed into the wall behind her, knocking itself out. "I'm alright!" she called to her Captain, who sighed with relief. "How many are there?" she asked.

"At least a dozen!" cried Abby, punching one.

Jess dug in her small clutch, quickly grabbing her phone. "Becker, a team is four minutes away!" she called, her mobile still tucked under her chin. "We just need to hold on."

"For four minutes," said Matt, looking at Becker.

Becker smiled. "We can keep them busy for four minutes." He pushed a piano, hitting two of the Sinornithosaurus and pinning them against a wall. He held one arm out for Jess.

Jess began to pick her way through the feathers on the ground, and a few dinosaur bodies they'd knocked out. She lost her balance on one of the feathers, skidding slightly. She didn't fight the motion, though, dancing her way through, twirling along till she landed on one leg beside Becker.

"That….was awesome," he said with awe.

"Thank you, sweetie," she said, kissing him.

The whole time Becker kept the piano tight against the creatures.

"Four minutes," whispered Mrs. Lester in terror.

"No time at all," said Lester. He had unfolded the mat, and used that to shield his wife. He stood in front of her, kicking and punching anything prehistoric that came their way. "My staff has the situation well in hand, darling."

Not far from them, Abby and Connor knocked several creatures down with chairs.

"These are really well built," observed Connor of the ornate chair he used to deliver another blow. "Look, hardly a scratch."

"Try to be careful," said Lester. "Our budget is tight as it is."

"James…" whispered his wife, in shock.

"Oh…nothing to fret about dear. Just another day in the…office," he said with a smile.

She returned the smile weakly, and in confusion. "These things…"

"Hmm…Oh, I'm sure they're just some rabid chickens or something, Darling."

She nodded, but seemed unconvinced.

"How long now, Parker?" he called across the room.

Jess looked on her phone. "Less than a minute!"

She and Becker pressed their bodies against the piano, now trapping several more of the creatures.

"Can you see the others?" asked Becker.

"Yes," said Jess. "The rest of the dancers, including your mum are safely stuffed inside the office."

"Matt and Emily?"

"Just over there, by the bathrooms."

Matt and Emily had dumped the coats from the movable coat racks and used the racks to herd several creatures into the ladies' room.

"I hope its empty," said Matt.

"I believe we would have heard screams if it was not," said Emily. "Another one is coming."

Matt used one of the coats to disorient it, waving it in front like the creature was a bull and he was a bullfighter. Emily cautiously opened the bathroom door, careful not to let the other creatures out.

"That was a workout," said Matt. "It was kind of like the bull fight dance, huh?"

"Not really," called Jess, shaking her head.

Emily laughed. "I prefer waltzes," she said.

End of Chapter Two


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three, Conclusion, Dinosaurs in the Ballroom, Secrets: Simply Ballroom 3

The team managed to keep all the Sinornithosaurus inside the dance studio and at bay until the team from the ARC arrived.

"Finally. Stop for tea?" asked Becker, smirking, to his men.

The soldiers laughed. "Sorry, sir," said the lieutenant. "Thought you had things under control."

"Of course," he said, smiling at Jess, "but I'd rather be with my lovely date than with these overgrown pigeons. So, if you don't mind."

"Not at all," said the Lieutenant, laughing. He led his men around the studio, stunning all the dinosaurs.

"We're lucky nothing else came through," said Connor, taking the locking device and setting it up while the others helped drag the dinosaurs to the anomaly.

"Indeed," said Lester, pulling down the mat, and kissing his wife. "See, dear? Crisis over."

"What….are they?" she asked, shuddering at the sight of the dinosaurs, even if they were out cold.

Lester frowned. "I…can't actually tell you dear."

She stared at him.

He tried to break the tension. "At least we can stop with the ballroom dancing," he said cheerily.

Mrs. Lester didn't laugh. She stood still, frozen and confused.

"I doubt Mrs. Fine will want us visiting from now on, once I complete my portion of this job," continued Lester.

"What?" asked Mrs. Lester.

"He means he'll strong-arm and bully these people into silence," said Matt.

Lester glared at him. "We do have a rather sensitive secret, you know. If anyone has a better idea on how to contain it, by all means, make a suggestion."

"We could tell the truth," suggested Connor.

Lester guffawed. "The truth."

"What is the truth?" asked Mrs. Fine, walking over with the stunned dancers.

Mrs. Becker ran over to her son and he held her tight. She held her hand out for Jess, who gladly accepted being pulled into their hug.

"Is this…what both of you do?" she asked. "The top secret, dangerous work you always allude to is actually chasing…what were they?"

Becker looked at Lester, who sighed.

Then the dancers began talking and asking questions, wanting to know the truth.

"The truth? I don't know if you really want it," Lester said, eying his wife. She took his hand, and sympathetically rubbed his cheek.

"Perhaps not, dear," she said, "but I'd say that some of the truth is out already, and being dragged through the shining light."

He chuckled. "Indeed. " He sighed again, and looked to Connor, and nodded.

Connor spoke. "That ball thing? It's a rip in time. This one happened to lead to the prehistoric past. Those creatures were dinosaurs, and it's our job," he said, gesturing to the teams, "to send them back and protect humanity."

Mrs. Lester looked incredulously at her husband. He said nothing, just wrapped his arm around her.

None of the teams said anything. The dancers were quiet. Then one of the ARC members activated the locking device and closed the anomaly.

"Is it…gone?" asked Mrs. Rogers.

"Yes," said Matt. "It's all locked up and safe. That's what we do."

"Save the world," said Connor.

Some of the men snickered, and most of the women looked scared. A few men, like Mr. Rogers, simply stared.

Mrs. Fine looked to Mrs. Becker. "What do you believe?"

Mrs. Becker looked to her son. "I believe my son and his companions just saved my life. And yours."

Becker smiled, and hugged her close. "Thanks, Mum. Sorry, you can't say anything to Dad, you know, national security and all."

"I understand. I don't like keeping things from him, but if my country needs me to, then I will and you know," she said, winking at him, "it might even be fun."

Becker laughed.

His mother turned to her son's boss. "Mr. Lester, I'll sign anything you ask."

"I like your mother, Captain," said Lester. He turned to the dancers. "I hope you all understand the gravity of what you've been through. I realize it's a shock and a bit….unnerving, however, we must keep this event to ourselves."

"We can't have panic," said Matt.

"So, what?" asked Howard. "These things pop up and vicious creatures come through? You want us to pretend we didn't see?"

"Yes, exactly," said Lester.

Howard stared him down.

"This is our job," said Matt. "We're the ones who deal with the anomalies and the creatures."

Mr. Howard was quiet.

"You're lucky," said Becker. "You get to forget."

Jess looked up at him, and kissed him gently. "It's not easy remembering," she said softly.

He smiled sadly at her.

The dancers remained silent.

Lester sighed. "It's a lot to ask, but we must. We need your secrecy."

Slowly, one by one, every dancer signed the secrecy agreements, even Mr. Howard.

"Thank you," said Lester solemnly.

Mr. Howard, Mrs. Becker, the Rogers, young Mr. Andrews, and all the rest stoically nodded.

Then Mrs. Fine asked cheerfully, "Who wants to dance?"

After a few moments of stunned silence, the room broke out into laughter.

The End


End file.
